Samsung ranked second for number of patents received

Article |
10 January, 2011 06:53 PM

Samsung Electronics Company, a part of family-controlled Korean conglomerate Samsung Group, has been ranked second for the number of patents received in 2010, according to research done by IFI Claims Patent Services.

In the list of Top 10 US Patent Winners of 2010, Samsung Electronics Company came in second after IBM, receiving 4,551 patents last year. IFI told Bloomberg about the US patent system: "The US Patent and Trademark Office improved turnaround times by processing applications more efficiently, contributing to 'the most significant annual increase on record'."

In all, a total of 219,614 utility patents were issued in the US in 2010, with all the top 10 companies in IFI's list seeing a rise in their numbers. The number of patents issued to Samsung saw a 26% increase as compared to 2009.

Samsung was founded in 1938 by Lee Jae Yong, but it was second-generation Lee Kun Hee (pictured), currently the chairman of Samsung Electronics, who transformed the company into a multi-billion dollar business. Samsung Electronics is the world's second-largest mobile handset maker and has Gee-Sung Choi as its current president and CEO.